Car-brake



(NoMode1.)

A. K. KLINE. Gar Brake.

No. 234,294. Patented Nov. 9,1880.

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MPETERS. FHOTO-LITHOGRAFHER WASHINGTON n O NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

AARON K. KLINE, OF SOMERVILLE, NE? JERSEY.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,294, dated November9, 1880.

Application filed September 6, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AARON K. KLINE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Somerville, in the county of Somerset and State of NewJersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oar-Brakes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The nature of my invention relates to that class of car-brakes in whichthe brake-levers are operated by means of push-rods, which are extendedout from the ends of the car, so as to be acted upon by like push-rodsof an adjoining car, the said rods or bars thereby forming a continuousseries of rods, which are under the control of the engineer at one endof the train.

My improvement consists, first, in an automatic car-brake, in thecombination with the brake-levers of a single sliding push-rod extendingfrom end to end of the car and terminating in bumper-heads at both ofits ends, a swinging lever connected at or near the center of thepush-bar, two chains or ropes connecting the upper free end of the leverwith the two brake-levers at opposite sides thereof, and also two chainsor ropes connecting the two brake-levers with the said swinging lever ata point intermediate of the free end and the fulcrum of the latter, thesaid brake-levers being operated by the movement of the pushrod ineither direction, substantially as hereinafter described; second, in anautomatic car-brake, in the combination with the brakelevers of a singlesliding push-rod extending from end to end of the car and terminating inbumper-heads at both of its ends, a swinging lever connected with thecenter of the pdshbar by a sliding connection between ;two springs, twochains or ropes connecting'the upper free end of the lever with the twobrakelevers at opposite sides thereof, and also two chains or ropesconnecting the brake-levers with the said swinging lever at a pointintermediate of the free end and the fulcrum of said lever,substantially as hereinafter described.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure l is an inverted plan view. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal centralsection.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, the letter Z designates the platform of a car runningon wheels m m. The under side of the platform lis provided with apush-bar, a a, sliding longitudinally in bearings or guides I) b. Thispush-bar is intended to abut with its end against the end of acorresponding push bar on the car in front, and thus a continuous lineis produced reaching to the locomotive. Thelocomotive is provided with asteam -piston or other arrangement, preferably under the engineerscontrol, which communicates motion to the push-bar a a, pressing it, forexample, in the direction of the arrow 1, shown thereon.

To the push bar a a is attached a lever, c. This lever c is preferablyconnected to the push-bar a a by a collar, e, which slides readily onsaid push bar, and is held in place by springs d d, placed on each sideof the collar 0.

To one end of the lever c are attached chains or ropes hf, which connectwith rodsJc 1'. At some distance from the end of the lever c areattached chains or ropes g e, which also connect with the rods i.

WVhen the push-bar a is pressed in the direction of the arrow 1 themotion of the lever 0 thereby produced produces tension of the chains 6h, which is communicated to the rods 13 k. This motion of the rod 2' istransferred to a lever, a, having its fulcrum 0 on the swinging arm 19,which carries the brake-heads g, which brake-heads are thus pressedagainst the wheels m m. To the other end of the lever a is fastened arod or chain, r, by which the motion of said lever n is communicated tothe lever s, and by it to the arm t and brakeheads a. The motion of therod 70 is transferred to the brake-heads acting on the wheels at theopposite end of the car by a similar arran gement.

When the push-bar a is pressed in the direction opposite to thatindicated by the arrow 1 the lever c communicates its motion to thechains f g, producing tension of the same, and a like result, as before,so that said brakes are under the engineers control at whatever end ofthe train the locomotive is attached.

The arms 10 t swing freely to and fro in arms or rods o, depending fromthe body of the truck, as is usual in the arrangement of brakes.

The springs d d equalize the pressure on all the brakes in the train bytheir action on the sliding collar 0, said springs being made of nearlyequal strength throughout the whole train. Said springs also prevent atoo great strain from being brought on the chains efg h, thus removingall liability of breaking of these chains or any other part of themechanism.

When the pressure on the push-bar (t is released the brake-heads areallowed to swing away from the wheels, leaving them free to revolve.

To insure contact of the ends of the pushbars a, I make their ends of abroad or flaring shape, as shown.

Instead of brake-heads I mayemploy shoes which can be pressed againstthe track by the lever n or other means, whereby the train is caused tostop.

In coalcars, the bottom of which swings down to deposit the coal, thebar a would be in the way. In order to obviate this I make the bar a intwo short sections, one at each end of the car, and connect thesesections by a quadrangular frame, consisting of metal or other stoutrods, said frame being of about the same size as the platform of thecar. This frame allows the coal to drop down within itself withouthindering their passage. The lever 0 is attached to this frame,producing the same result as before.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automatic car-brake, the combination, with the brake-levers, ofa single sliding push-rod extending from end to end of the ear, andterminating in bumper-heads at both of its ends, a swinging leverconnected at or near the center of the push-bar, two chains or ropesconnecting the upper free end of the lever with the brake-levers atopposite sides thereof, and also two chains or ropes connecting the twobrakelevers with the said swinging lever at a point intermediate of thefree end and the fulcrum of the latter, the said brake-levers beingoperated by the movement of the push-rod in either direction, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic car-brake, the combination, with the brakelevers, ofa single sliding push-rod extending from end to end of the car, andterminating in bumper-heads at both of its ends, a swinging leverconnected with the center of the push-bar by asliding connection betweentwo springs, two chains or ropes connecting the upper free end of thelever with the two brake-levers at opposite sides thereof, and also twochains or ropes connecting the brake levers with the said swinging leverat a point intermediate of the free end and the fulcrum of said lever,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

AARON K. KLINE.

Witnesses:

W. (J. HAUFF. J. HERMANN WAHLERS.

